New Hampshire State Building and Construction Trades Council President Ed Foley summed up the disappointment over the budget in a June 24 e-mail to building trades leaders througout the state:

Brothers and Sisters,

About one hour ago the legislature in NH passed a budget with tax increases and fee increases, about 1,000 job cuts to state workers and a budget without any meaningful revenue source. This legislature chose to ignore the opportunity to include expanded gaming in the budget, expanded gaming would have brought in 200 million dollars in revenue to the state, it would have created over 500 construction jobs, union construction jobs with good wages and benefits and the opportunity to bring in new apprentices. Expanded gaming would have provided revenue to ease the pain of so many of our brothers and sister state workers and would have reduced the need for increased taxes and fees.

The leadership in the legislature ignored the will of the people. The polls showed that 76% of the people of NH supported expanded gaming as a way to avoid increased taxes and fees, job cuts and  cuts to social programs and most importantly provide a reliable source of revenue.

THEY JUST DON”T GET IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The men and women of organized labor can be proud of the effort we put forth with our friends at  FIX IT NOW NH.  WE should not forget the politicians who ignored the will of the people. We will continue to fight for expanded gaming in NH. I thank you all for your magnificent effort. Because of you the vote was 13-11 in the senate and  

201-183 in the house. Thank you again for your hard work.

Ed